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National Tours 2015 Blending Irish and progressive American folk singing styles, Maura O’Connell burst onto the trad scene in the 1980s as vocalist with Celtic super group De Danann. The Ennis songbird’s singing career has brought her international acclaim, two Grammy nominations and collaborations with everyone from Bonnie Raitt, Nanci Griffith and Dolly Parton to Alison Krauss, The Chieftains and Van Morrison. Former lead singer with Solas and a highly-acclaimed solo artist, Karan Casey is one of the most influential and innovative vocalists in Irish or American folk music, performing with such luminaries as James Taylor, Liam Clancy, Peggy Seeger, Mick Moloney, The Dubliners and Imelda May. Her gorgeous, soulful voice has featured on over 50 albums. Martin Tourish is an accordionist from Co. Donegal whose reputation has grown rapidly since he was named Young Musician of the Year by TG4 in 2008. He is a member of the band Altan, has performed with Carlos Nunez and been a guest soloist with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. Ed Boyd is widely considered to be one of the finest acoustic guitarists on the European folk circuit. A founding member of BBC Folk Award-winning group ’Flook’, he is known for his technical brilliance, delicate ensemble playing and unique musical style. Hailed a few years back as “the most exciting and imaginative piano trio since EST,” Phronesis have more than lived up to the hype, evolving into one of the most exhilarating jazz trios in Europe and attracting rave reviews and a slew of awards along the way. Their explosive live performances packed with killer riffs and pulsing grooves, have captured the hearts and minds of audiences from Sydney to Monterey. Phronesis is defined by the extraordinary empathy and interplay between the three musicians. At the heart of the band sits the big-toned bass of Dane Jasper Høiby, framed by the delicate lyricism of British pianist Ivo Neame and the serpentine polyrhythms of Swedish drummer Anton Eger. It’s a unique, uncompromising sound, using original compositions as a launch pad for collective conjuring where genre-bending and risk-taking is the norm. Since coming to prominence in the 1980s, Joanna MacGregor has built a formidable reputation as one of the world’s most innovative – and tireless – musicians. A renowned concert pianist lauded for her dazzling technique, irrepressible energy and musical intellect, she is also a highly-respected composer, curator, conductor and teacher. Throughout her career, MacGregor has repeatedly broken the mould, thanks in part to a hugely diverse repertoire stretching from the Baroque canon to improvised jazz and North American avant-garde. A veteran of over thirty solo recordings, she has collaborated with an amazing array of artists, including Django Bates, Moses Molelekwa, Andy Sheppard, Brian Eno and Nitin Sawhney, as well as performing with such eminent conductors as Pierre Boulez, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Simon Rattle and Michael Tilson Thomas. For this tour Joanna will perform a musical sketch of her life: from the Bach preludes and Gospel songs she played as a child, through to her first jazz love - Thelonious Monk – and her first ‘difficult’ composer – Charles Ives; from her travels across the Deep South of the United States, and first journeys in Latin America. Composers' Voice: Joanna MacGregor will play a new piece, Roadshow, by Irish composer Conor Linehan on this tour. Conor will be in attendance at the Pavilion Theatre on 25th March for a Composers’ Voice pre-concert talk. There will also be an opportunity for a brief Q & A session before the performance. Composers' Voice is an audience development initiative of the Contemporary Music Centre and is made possible through the continued funding of the Centre by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaion. Grammy-nominated mandolinist Avi Avital and accordionist Ksenija Sidorova are set to delight Irish audiences this April on a six-date Music Network tour. A diverse programme of folk, classical and contemporary music takes the instruments beyond their folk roots. Recognised by The New York Times for his “exquisitely sensitive playing” and “stunning agility,” in 2010 Avi Avital became the first mandolin player to receive a Grammy nomination in the category “Best Instrumental Soloist.” One of the world’s most adventurous musicians, he has captivated audiences across the globe with the sheer brilliance of his playing. He is joined on this tour by superstar accordionist Ksenija Sidorova, a keen promoter of the accordion. The young Latvian transfixes audiences with her delicate but staggeringly precise performances and transcriptions of Bach and Scarlatti. Avi and Ksenija will host a series of workshops for young musicians as part of this tour, connecting our work in music performance and music education with the aim of giving children and young people rich, holistic musical experiences. Composers' Voice: Avi and Ksenija will play Ian Wilson's Spilliaert's Beach (1999) on this tour. Ian will be in attendance at the Waterford concert on 23rd March Composers’ Voice talk. There will also be an opportunity for a brief Q & A session with the composer. Composers' Voice is an audience development initiative of the Contemporary Music Centre and is made possible through the continued funding of the Centre by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaion. The April Verch Band’s fondness for a killer dance tune leads it on a joyful journey through North American roots music, from bluegrass and old-time to western swing, and honours its myriad of influences including French, Irish and Scottish traditional musics. Their legendary performances are a lesson in how to win fans for life: April is a world-class fiddler, a champion Ottawa Valley step dancer, an acclaimed composer, and a singer whose voice has been hailed as “absolutely captivating” by the Toronto Star. The band — rounded out by bassist and clawhammer banjo player Cody Walters and guitarist Hayes Griffin — is an energetic, skilful, tradition-celebrating outfit. They have established a reputation as consummate performers, winning over audiences not only with sheer virtuosity on their respective instruments, but also with charm, humour and boundless energy on stage. Tour continues to Northern Ireland with www.movingonmusic.co.uk Wednesday 20 May: Black Box, Belfast Thursday 21 May: Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart Friday 22 May: Island Arts Centre, Lisburn Hebridean singer Kathleen MacInnes is joined onstage by Donegal accordion maestro Dermot Byrne, maverick flute and whistle player Brian Finnegan and award-winning Scottish guitarist and fiddler Mike Vass. If you haven’t caught award-winning singer Kathleen MacInnes live before, you’re in for a real treat. On stage the Hebridean songbird is a natural, sharing a joke one minute then breaking hearts the next with a soulful, earthy voice that lingers with the listener long after the last note has been sung. A regular performer at the prestigious Celtic Connections festival, in 2010 her singing reached audiences worldwide after being featured in Ridley Scott’s film Robin Hood. Her musical co-conspirators combine creativity and virtuosity in equal measure. Best known for his work with Altan, legendary box player Dermot Byrne has collaborated with everyone from The Chieftains and Sharon Shannon to The Stunning and Stephane Grappelli. Founder member of ground- breaking acts Flook and Kan, flute and whistle player Brian Finnegan has also performed with such stellar artists as Cara Dillon, Kate Rusby and Russian group Aquarium, while Scottish guitar and fiddle maestro Mike Vass, a recipient of the prestigious ‘Composer of the Year’ at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, has toured extensively with leading Scots song band Malinky. Kathleen MacInnes, voice Dermot Byrne, accordion Brian Finnegan, flute/whistle Mike Vass, guitar/fiddle In a remarkably short space of time, the Zaïde Quartet has established a formidable reputation as one of Europe’s finest young string quartets, winning a slew of awards including first prize and all three special prizes at the Vienna Haydn International Competition. Noted for its rare blend of fiery technical brilliance, delicate ensemble interaction and bold, adventurous musical imagination, the French ensemble will deliver an exciting programme ranging from Mozart and Shostakovich quartets to a contemporary Irish work. In the past three years, the Zaïde Quartet has been invited to perform in venues such Wigmore Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the Beijing Performing Arts Center. The quartet has also worked regularly with Hatto Beyerle, violist and founding member of the Alban Berg Quartet, and last year released a much-lauded debut album featuring works by Janáček and Martinů. This year, the quartet will play in Europe’s most prestigious halls, as part of the ECHO Rising Stars programme. Charlotte Juillard, violin Leslie Boulin-Raulet, violin Sarah Chenaf, viola Juliette Salmona, cello Packing the dance floors with an infectious combination of frenetic break-beats, irresistible piano melodies and subtle electronica, GoGo Penguin first came to prominence in 2014 after their album, v2.0, was named a Mercury Prize Album of the Year in 2014, alongside offerings from the likes of Damon Albarn. Undoubtedly one of the rising stars of the UK Jazz scene, this Mancunian piano trio is equally at home playing to clubbers and dyed-in-the-wool jazz fans, drawing on a range of influences from Aphex Twin and dubstep to The Bad Plus, Brian Eno, John Cage, Massive Attack and Debussy. Conventional jazz soloing plays little part in GoGo Penguin’s world – their highly personalised, genre-free sound comes from the interplay between the three musicians: Illingworth’s flowing bebop-inspired piano riding over Nick Blacka’s pulsing bass lines and Rob Turner’s skittering drum grooves. With a three album deal with Blue Note Records under their belt, and a recent win at the Jazz FM Awards (for Jazz Act of the Year), this is a band not to be missed.

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